The eighth edition of the Critics’ Choice Awards, organised by the Film Critics Guild of India, in collaboration with WPP Motion Entertainment and with t2ONLINE as digital news partner, unfolded at JW Marriott Juhu in Mumbai last week. Voted for by members of the guild drawn from the length and breadth of the country, it was an evening that witnessed true talent and bona fide effort being recognised and rewarded.

t2 picks its top moments from the awards that celebrated outstanding achievements in Indian storytelling across feature films, web series, documentaries and short films.

HOMEBOUND BRINGS IT HOME

Homebound, India’s entry to the Academy Awards this year, was the favourite film of the night, sweeping the categories of Best Film, Best Director (Neeraj Ghaywan), Best Actor (Vishal Jethwa) and Best Supporting Actress (Shalini Vatsa).

Neeraj Ghaywan, whose cinema, including Homebound, has always emphasised on inclusion and equality even in the face of systemic cruelty and deep-seated prejudice, took his time on stage to talk about the astounding but well-deserved journey that Homebound has had so far. He also pushed back against the The Transgender Persons Amendment Bill 2026, that was passed that evening, that calls for the removal of self-identification. “Only you have a right to decide who you want to be,” emphasised Ghaywan, whose debut film was the critically acclaimed Masaan.

Vishal Jethwa, whose poignant portrayal of a young man whose life and dreams are robbed by an apathetic system, said that after a long period of trying to blend in, he felt that it was his uniqueness that worked for him, much like it did for Homebound. “Right from my first film, Mardaani 2, the critics have always been a big support to me,” smiled the amiable young man, rocking an unconventional outfit.

BLACK WARRANT SUPREMACY

In the web series category, Black Warrant — the Netflix prison drama inspired by real life — reigned supreme, being awarded Best Web Series, Best Director (Vikramaditya Motwane, Satyanshu Singh, Arkesh Ajay, Rohin Raveendran Nair and Ambiecka Pandit), Best Writing (Satyanshu Singh and Arkesh Ajay) and Best Supporting Actor (Rahul Bhat). “It is always a high to be awarded by critics because that accounts for appreciation at the highest level,” said Bhat, while the team of Black Warrant spoke about the kind of intense and intimate collaboration that went into making the series. Motwane, while accepting the Best Director award, lauded film critics for not flinching “in the face of intense vitriol”.

HONOURING A LEGEND

Veteran actor Farida Jalal was honoured with the Extraordinary Contribution to Cinema Award. The always graceful Faridaji — as she is known to everyone — brought her signature elegance to the stage, thanking the Film Critics Guild for recognising her six-decade-long career, which is still going strong. A fun moment was when Lola Kutty aka Anu Menon — who sprung up every now and then to make everyone go ha-ha — enacted the iconic “Mrs Sprightly” dialogue from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, a sporting Farida Jalal for company.

POIGNANT MOMENT OF PRIDE

The moment of the evening that brought the entire audience to its feet was Saurabh Suman being honoured for his evocative lens work in the short film Aasmaani Jhoola. Receiving the award on behalf of Saurabh, who passed away last year, were his tearful parents whose time on stage ensured there wasn’t a single dry eye among those present.

WOMEN POWER

Making a (welcome) habit of winning at the Critics’ Choice Awards, Tillotama Shome took home the trophy for Best Supporting Actress for her stellar act in Paatal Lok Season 2. The Calcutta girl, striking in purple coords, was one of the first during the evening to condemn the Transgender Persons Amendment Bill, calling for everyone’s right to identity.

Priyanka Bose was also a big winner of the night, landing the coveted trophy for Best Actress — Feature Film for Agra. While talking about how she aspired for greater autonomy as an actor, the actress who also featured in the 2025 critically-acclaimed film Jugnuma said: “I greatly appreciate this inclusion. Critics have always supported and given context to my journey as an artiste and it has kept me awake for newer opportunities.”

SHORT, STEADY & REAL

Maaybaapache Aashirwaad (Blessings) was the chosen one in the Short Film category, winning Best Short Film, with young gun Apurva Bardapurkar bagging both Best Director and Best Writing for the same film.

Sunny Hinduja won Best Actor (Short Film) for That’s A Wrap, written, directed and produced by him, alongside wife Shinjini Raval. “I am privileged to be here and honoured to have been awarded the Critics’ Choice Award. This is my first film with my wife and it is both a surreal and happy experience,” said the Family Man actor about the the drama which explores the blurred lines between performance and reality for a couple.

In the non-fiction segment, I, Poppy was awarded Best Documentary, highlighting the growing impact of documentary filmmaking in capturing powerful real-world narratives. “Thank you for keeping the door open for people like us to squeeze in. I mark myself safe from the kind of films being made now. This is a safe space for me,” were the words from I, Poppy director Vivek Chaudhary.

CHALLENGING NORMS

Marathi film Sthal (A Match) was recognised with the Gender Sensitivity Award for its nuanced, powerful portrayal of empowerment and its critique of forced arranged marriages in rural India. Director Jayant Digambar Somalkar was at hand to collect the award from All We Imagine As Light actor Chhaya Kadam, with the latter emphasising on “the need to create more space on screen for women”.

OF CRITICS & CRITICISM

Closing out the evening was actor Abhishek Bachchan who delivered the keynote speech, reflecting deeply on film criticism and the role and responsibility of critics and analysing “who” and “what” constitutes a critic. “If I have a phone and access to social media, does that qualify me as a critic? How do we differentiate? Who are we to differentiate? After all, the innumerable amount of people that post their reactions, views and emotions about a film on social media absolutely qualify as the ticketbuying audience that has the right to express their views... and today they have a platform too,” said Abhishek, dapper in black and sporting more than fifty shades of grey in his beard.

Priyanka Roy

The writer is a member of the Film Critics Guild that organises the Critics’ Choice Awards Pictures courtesy: Film Critics Guild